I chose to use the image of the woman sitting in the window.
1. Did your colleagues notice what you noticed in the painting?
Yes, my colleagues noticed many of the same things in the painting that I noted earlier. They mentioned that the woman appears to be thinking about something because she has a somber look on her face with little expression. She is dressed in clothing from the 1800's and may have been in the upper class. We agreed that she doesn't appear to be someone who works.
2. Did they notice details or offer insights you had not considered? How did you respond to these?
They did not offer too many details that I hadn't noticed. However when they said something that I really agreed with or thought was important I could feel myself get excited. I kept telling myself to be neutral and act in a controlled manner. One thing they did conclude that it appeared as if if was spring time in the painting because of the open window and the small flowers in the pots below the window.
3. How did you feel about facilitating this discussion and what did you learn from the experience?
I felt a bit more nervous facilitating with my peer in my school. I learned that these teachers are quite insightful and enthusiastic when talking about art. I was pleasantly surprised by this experience and really enjoyed it.
4. Were you surprised by anything related to this discussion?
As I previously mentioned I was surprised by the teachers involvement in the activity. They were really involved and seemed to enjoy the process as a whole.
5. What would you like to work on in your next facilitation and how might you do that?
Linking the viewers comment together would be one part I would like to work on. I need to concentrate on how each students comment relates to the other class and what they agree and disagree on.
One comment I received from my peers was that they felt there should have been a right or wrong answer. I asked them if I gave them that impression or whey they felt that ways. They thought I was looking for something when I kept redirecting them with the "What more can we find". As we discussed this issue they asked if I could tell my audience that all answers are accepted and there is not a right answer. I thought this was a good suggestion.
I LOVE how VTS causes the facilitator to reflect in process. When you said "I could feel myself get excited. I kept telling myself to be neutral and act in a controlled manner" you were clearly in metacognitive, reflective mode! Your peers seemed to have given you good feedback. It is certainly acceptable to insert a comment about right and wrong answers in your introductory statement. I just read Sheryl's reflection and her participants commented that it created a safe environment for them. Perhaps the older we get, the more we EXPECT one right answer. It would be interesting research to see if adding or not adding that assurance impacted the VTS performance of different age groups of students. In addition to being a reflective pedagogy, VTS also opens up all sorts of potential research questions! I enjoyed reading your post! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you felt when you said: "I could feel myself get excited. I kept telling myself to be neutral and act in a controlled manner" . As you know I too have difficulty with neutrality and am working on it. I am so glad that the teachers in your group enjoyed the experience and were insightful in their responses. You will be bringing them into our fold. You are the CCO of your school after all. (Chief Creative Officer).
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